Power of Place: Where Social Studies Happens

Global citizenship requires one to understand that we live and work in localized places that are interconnected through communication and transportation. Place-based inquiry engages local heritage, landscapes, opportunities and experiences as a way to make sense of the world in which we live and provides a platform to take informed action. Places illustrate the interconnectedness between history, civics, economy, and geography, provide an authentic context to develop disciplinary literacies, and serve as a rich foundation for an active and informed society. The 48th Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies, with Hartford, Connecticut as its backdrop, will provide opportunities for conference attendees to become immersed with place-based and inquiry focused social studies theories and practices. In addition to traditional conference workshops and breakout sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to experience and explore the rich heritage of the Constitution State.

Slavery and the Constitution is a new NEH Summer Institute designed to examine the relationship between slavery and the Constitution and will enable 25 faculty members from two- and four-year colleges and universities to study the relationship between slavery and the United States Constitution. It will be held in Washington, DC from July 8-21, 2018at the Library of Congress’ Kluge Center. Seven eminent scholars will offer seminars, lead scholarly discussions, and provide research assistance on the topic of slavery and the Constitution. The Institute’s scholars will also guide the participants through primary documents and the continuing scholarly debate over the relationship between slavery and the Constitution from its writing to the Civil War. The stipend for the program is $2100.